Lydd in Arabic, lod in hebrew

Lydd in Arabic, Lod in Hebrew, was a bustling Palestinian city with lots of potential before 1948. Located in the centre of historic Palestine, the British Colonial Government turned the city into a transport hub. The first international airport was built in the city and its railway station connected the country to major cities in the Arab world; Cairo and Beirut. In 1948, the vast majority of its Palestinian residents were ethnically cleansed by zionist militias. They became scattered refugees: in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Jordan, and the list goes on. Less than 1,200 remained in their city, some of whom were railway workers whose labour and knowledge of operating the trains were much-needed to the newly established state of Israel. With years, the mixed Jewish and Arab city of Lydd/Lod, especially its Palestinian neighbourhoods, became synonymous with neglect, drugs, crime and poverty.

Lydd is home to the first Palestinian hip hop artist, Tamer Naffar, who through his art challenges settler colonial erasure, genocide, patriarchy, homophobia and crime. Tamer challenges oppression in all its forms and shapes. He refuses the dehumanisation of Palestinians. And asserts their right to dignity and life. Equality and safety.

The collection of photographs, all taken in 2017, offers a glimpse into colonial violence, erasure and urban neglect in the Palestinian neighbourhoods of the city.